Unexpected Leadership

Get to Know Your Report’s Life Story

I’ve been humbled again and again by the simple fact that we bring our whole selves to work. A rough morning commute leaves you on edge. A catch-up call with a friend has you running high on life. A tough family situation saps focus and creativity. Joy or…

Why Large Companies are Moving To 1:1s (and You Should Too!)

Filling in the Gaps

My first job out of college, I managed a funky t-shirt shop. We’d sit down with our customers at an iMac and design…

A Simple Template for Providing Great Feedback from Charles-Axel Dein

Can you point to a moment when a key piece of feedback dramatically changed your personal or professional life for the better? I find such moments stick with me. Timely, effective feedback has helped me reveal…

The Parking Lot: A Simple Tactic for Keeping Your Meetings on Track

Many of us spend a lot of time in meetings. From team huddles to 1:1s to cross-departmental deep dives, they are a key way work moves forward. However, meetings are expensive, and they need to be kept focused to…

Buster Benson’s Cognitive Bias Cheat Sheet

Albert Einstein said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

This has been a humbling lesson for me as a manager. Almost daily, I’m confronted by the fact that not only do I not know everything, but I don’t…

Say it 7 Times: The Art of Overcommunication

There’s an adage in marketing that a brand must “Say it seven times” before a message sticks with a consumer. I’ve found the same to be true when communicating with others on my team. When you present new information, you are coming from a place of…

Lawrence Ripsher’s 90% Agreement Rule

“Let’s agree to agree.”

Wouldn’t it be great if you heard this at work more often? In a cross-functional meeting. In a 1:1 with a report. In a conversation with your boss. Imagine all of these interactions being framed through what you…